Farmers' body threatens Vidarbha-wide agitation if Gondia land acquisition is not cancelled

Gondia: Laxmikant Kauthkar, Vidarbha president of the Kisan Sanghatana (led by Raghunath Patil), warned at a press conference that if the government does not immediately cancel the acquisition of farmers' fertile land in Gondia district, an intense mass agitation will be launched in Vidarbha. Kauthkar said the colonial-era land acquisition law was amended in 2013, yet it has taken away the right of a farmer who is unwilling to give up his land to seek justice. He said land acquisition is being carried out by force on fertile lands in Gondia district.

According to Kauthkar, the 2013 law requires the consent of at least 70 per cent of farmers for acquiring land. He alleged that in 2018 the then government amended the law, cited a "special reason" and took for itself the power to acquire land without consent. Kauthkar said acquisition work is moving swiftly in the villages of Gudma, Dagutola, Khamari, Harbatola, Tumkheda Khurd, Karanja, Dawwa, Ganakheda, Hirdamali and Goregaon, causing deep resentment among local farmers.

He asked why, when carrying out development work in big cities, the government looks for alternatives such as underpasses, but does not adopt such options to save the fertile land of weak and poor farmers in villages. Kauthkar said these farmers have lived off this ancestral land for centuries. He said the government should consider fallow land instead of forcibly taking land.

Kauthkar also strongly criticised other policies of the Centre and the state government. According to him, restrictions on the import and export of farm produce under the Essential Commodities Act are being used to push prices down, while the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is causing farmers heavy losses. He said attacks by dangerous wild animals have increased and, despite repeated appeals and agitations, the government is deliberately ignoring the issue, he alleged.

Kauthkar said drought conditions prevail across Vidarbha and Maharashtra. According to him, bank officials are humiliating indebted farmers and the government has absolved itself by giving only a little help. He also said that while there is a water crisis, officials advise farmers on which crop to grow in their fields but do not shut off water to factories. He added that smart meters being installed village after village have left ordinary citizens and farmers under great stress.

Kauthkar also said that while building cement roads on state highways, the powers of the Public Works Department (PWD) have been removed and given to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). With a PWD office at taluka level, it was easy for people to lodge complaints, but MSRDC's head office is in Nagpur, so ordinary people cannot go there to complain. He alleged that contractors are doing substandard work and officials are defending them.

Finally, Kauthkar issued a last warning, saying that if the government does not immediately take serious note of this injustice to farmers and cancel the land acquisition in Gondia district, the organisation will mount a broad and intense agitation across Vidarbha. Office-bearers and workers of the organisation, including Afmal Bhaskar, Amit Agrawal, L. D. Chandrikapure, Dhanraj Bisen, Lokchand Tembhre, Deepak Tembhurne, Santosh Lilhare, Ajay Khanorkar, Ashwin Patle, Dilip Patil, Babulal Uke, Rajkumar Patle, Bharti Turkar, Bhumeshwar Bawankar and Ratan Nirvikar, were present in large numbers.